17.

BENEFIT PLANS

Defined Contribution Plans

The company has defined contribution plans which cover substantially all employees and provides for participant contributions on a pre-tax basis and matching contributions by the company for its U.S. and Canadian operations. Our contributions to the plan were $1.1 million, $924,000, and $843,000 during fiscal years 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively.

Deferred Compensation Plan

We have a nonqualified deferred compensation plan (the “Plan”) covering officers and certain key members of management. The Plan provides for participant deferrals on a pre-tax basis that are subject to annual deferral limits by the IRS and non-elective contributions made by the company. Participant deferrals and non-elective contributions made by the company are immediately vested.

Our contributions to the Plan were $192,000, $185,000 and $180,000 in fiscal years 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively. Our nonqualified deferred compensation plan liability of $7.4 million and $5.5 million at April 29, 2018 and April 30, 2017, were recorded in deferred compensation in the 2018 and 2017 Consolidated Balance Sheets, respectively.

We have a Rabbi Trust (the “Trust”) to set aside funds for the participants of the Plan and enable the participants to direct their contributions to various investment options in the Plan. The investment options of the Plan consist of a money market fund and various mutual funds. The funds set aside in the Trust are subject to the claims of our general creditors in the event of the company’s insolvency as defined in the Plan.

The investment assets of the Trust are recorded at their fair value of $7.3 million and $5.5 million at April 29, 2018 and April 30, 2017, and were recorded in long-term investments-rabbi trust in the 2018 and 2017 Consolidated Balance Sheets, respectively. The investment assets of the Trust are classified as available for sale and accordingly, changes in their fair values are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss).